A spectacular opening goal by left winger Kevin Hill set Torquay up for a third successive victory and their biggest of the season.
In the eighth minute Hill, with his back to goal, took off to score with an overhead bicycle kick from ten yards from Alex Russell's left wing cross.
Macclesfield's suspect defence was torn apart in the first half. Leading goalscorer David Graham, who had just missed a simple chance, made no mistake in the 33rd minute, heading home Jason Fowler's cross from the right.
And four minutes before half time skipper Craig Taylor celebrated his 30th birthday by heading home another cross by Russell.
A Colin Little goal, set up by the lively John Miles on the stroke of half time, gave Macclesfield some hope.
Torquay did take their foot off the throttle in the second half, but Macclesfield failed to take great chances which fell to Matt Tipton and Danny Whitaker.
Tipton's afternoon was completed when a petulant show of dissent at a free kick decision earned him his second yellow card and a dismissal in the 85th minute.
"Just crazy - we can't afford to lose a player in the sort of form that Matt has been showing," said manager John Askey.
Just to rub it in, substitute Martin Gritton scored Torquay's fourth with a glancing header, again set up by Russell, three minutes from time.
Askey slammed his side's defending, saying: "We were very poor indeed at the back." Town have now conceded 31 goals in 14 away games this season.
Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior said: "I don't think it was one of our best performances, but we were very professional in the second half.
"The game was dead in the second half, but I make no apologies for that. Killing games off as we did today is something that we need to do more of."